Log in or Sign up
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
To the Fortune that brings back Septimius Severus from Britain
>
Reply to Thread
Message:
<p>[QUOTE="Justin Lee, post: 3158067, member: 87404"]Last month I purchased this Septimius Severus AE As and have recently been doing some searching and reading about it and the time it was struck.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]810050[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Septimius Severus, Ruled 193-211 AD, AE As</b></p><p><b>Struck 211 AD, Rome Mint</b></p><p>Obverse: SEVERVS PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate head right.</p><p>Reverse: FORT RED P M TR P XIX COS III P P, Fortuna seated left, holding rudder on globe and cornucopiae; wheel under seat. SC in exergue.</p><p>References: RIC IV Septimius Severus 810, Cohen 155.</p><p>Size: 24.4mm, 11.9g</p><p><br /></p><p>During the later part of his reign (beginning in 208 AD), Septimius Severus was military campaigning in Britain, rebuilding Hadrian's Wall and the Roman forts from earlier campaigns, seeking to bring the whole of the Britain isle under the Roman rule—until his death in early 211 AD. In looking at some similar coins on acsearch, the historical description for this coin type by CGB.FR shared a translation of the reverse legend:</p><p><br /></p><blockquote><i><span style="color: #000000"><b>The reverse legend reads...</b></span></i></p><blockquote><p><i><span style="color: #0059b3">Fortuna Reduci Pontifex Maximus Tribunicia Potestate undevicesimum Consul tertium Pater Patria</span></i></p></blockquote><b>...and translates to...</b></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #0059b3"><b><i>To the Fortune that brings back, great pontiff holder of the tribunic power for the nineteenth time, consul three times, father of the fatherland</i></b>.</span></p></blockquote></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>With Septimius having been hard at work in battling in Roman Britain (reflected in the BRIT addition to the legend), this coin minted in Rome seems to be infused with wishful thinking and possibly captures the empire's desire (and possibly the Senate's) for the emperor to return to Rome during his end of days. Sadly, this wasn't so and Septimius died February 4, 211 AD in Eboracum, modern day York in England, evidently succumbing to the effects of a long-term battle with gout.</p><p><br /></p><p>As described in <i>Historia Augusta, Life of Septimius Severus</i>, p22 1-3:</p><blockquote><p>"The death of Severus was foreshadowed by the following events: he himself dreamed that he was snatched up to the heavens in a jewelled car drawn by four eagles, whilst some vast shape, I know not what, but resembling a man, flew on before. And while he was being snatched up, he counted out the numbers eighty and nine, and beyond this number of years he did not live so much as one, for he was an old man when he came to the throne. And then, after he had been placed in a huge circle in the air, for a long time he stood alone and desolate, until finally, when he began to fear that he might fall headlong, he saw himself summoned by Jupiter and placed among the Antonines. Again, on the day of the circus-games, when three plaster figures of Victory were set up in the customary way, with palms in their hands, the one in the middle, which held a sphere inscribed with his name, struck by a gust of wind, fell down from the balcony in an upright position and remained on the ground in this posture; while the one on which Geta's name was inscribed was dashed down and completely shattered, and the one which bore Bassianus' [Caracalla] name lost its palm and barely managed to keep its place, such was the whirling of the wind."</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>-----</p><p><b><i>Do you have more to add to this story? Do you have a correction to the above? Do you have similar coins from the end of SS's life?</i></b>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Justin Lee, post: 3158067, member: 87404"]Last month I purchased this Septimius Severus AE As and have recently been doing some searching and reading about it and the time it was struck. [ATTACH=full]810050[/ATTACH] [B]Septimius Severus, Ruled 193-211 AD, AE As Struck 211 AD, Rome Mint[/B] Obverse: SEVERVS PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate head right. Reverse: FORT RED P M TR P XIX COS III P P, Fortuna seated left, holding rudder on globe and cornucopiae; wheel under seat. SC in exergue. References: RIC IV Septimius Severus 810, Cohen 155. Size: 24.4mm, 11.9g During the later part of his reign (beginning in 208 AD), Septimius Severus was military campaigning in Britain, rebuilding Hadrian's Wall and the Roman forts from earlier campaigns, seeking to bring the whole of the Britain isle under the Roman rule—until his death in early 211 AD. In looking at some similar coins on acsearch, the historical description for this coin type by CGB.FR shared a translation of the reverse legend: [INDENT][I][COLOR=#000000][B]The reverse legend reads...[/B][/COLOR][/I] [INDENT][I][COLOR=#0059b3]Fortuna Reduci Pontifex Maximus Tribunicia Potestate undevicesimum Consul tertium Pater Patria[/COLOR][/I][/INDENT] [B]...and translates to...[/B] [INDENT][COLOR=#0059b3][B][I]To the Fortune that brings back, great pontiff holder of the tribunic power for the nineteenth time, consul three times, father of the fatherland[/I][/B].[/COLOR][/INDENT][/INDENT] With Septimius having been hard at work in battling in Roman Britain (reflected in the BRIT addition to the legend), this coin minted in Rome seems to be infused with wishful thinking and possibly captures the empire's desire (and possibly the Senate's) for the emperor to return to Rome during his end of days. Sadly, this wasn't so and Septimius died February 4, 211 AD in Eboracum, modern day York in England, evidently succumbing to the effects of a long-term battle with gout. As described in [I]Historia Augusta, Life of Septimius Severus[/I], p22 1-3: [INDENT]"The death of Severus was foreshadowed by the following events: he himself dreamed that he was snatched up to the heavens in a jewelled car drawn by four eagles, whilst some vast shape, I know not what, but resembling a man, flew on before. And while he was being snatched up, he counted out the numbers eighty and nine, and beyond this number of years he did not live so much as one, for he was an old man when he came to the throne. And then, after he had been placed in a huge circle in the air, for a long time he stood alone and desolate, until finally, when he began to fear that he might fall headlong, he saw himself summoned by Jupiter and placed among the Antonines. Again, on the day of the circus-games, when three plaster figures of Victory were set up in the customary way, with palms in their hands, the one in the middle, which held a sphere inscribed with his name, struck by a gust of wind, fell down from the balcony in an upright position and remained on the ground in this posture; while the one on which Geta's name was inscribed was dashed down and completely shattered, and the one which bore Bassianus' [Caracalla] name lost its palm and barely managed to keep its place, such was the whirling of the wind."[/INDENT] ----- [B][I]Do you have more to add to this story? Do you have a correction to the above? Do you have similar coins from the end of SS's life?[/I][/B][/QUOTE]
Your name or email address:
Do you already have an account?
No, create an account now.
Yes, my password is:
Forgot your password?
Stay logged in
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
To the Fortune that brings back Septimius Severus from Britain
>
Home
Home
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Activity
Recent Posts
Forums
Forums
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Posts
Competitions
Competitions
Quick Links
Competition Index
Rules, Terms & Conditions
Gallery
Gallery
Quick Links
Search Media
New Media
Showcase
Showcase
Quick Links
Search Items
Most Active Members
New Items
Directory
Directory
Quick Links
Directory Home
New Listings
Members
Members
Quick Links
Notable Members
Current Visitors
Recent Activity
New Profile Posts
Sponsors
Menu
Search
Search titles only
Posted by Member:
Separate names with a comma.
Newer Than:
Search this thread only
Search this forum only
Display results as threads
Useful Searches
Recent Posts
More...